The Unholy, The Undesirable, The Terror...

Nope, just a lurker.

[demoniqt]

Strawberry Kiss-aten 🍓

Chapter 4

Kuchiki Byakuya didn't meet Shiba Ichigo again until he found Rukia harping about a café at the new Shiba Shopping District to Renji.

It had been months since the meeting and though Byakuya had received the official proposal, the contract and its amendments, he had yet to lay eyes on the auburn-haired young man again. Most of the discussions were made with Shiba Kaien or the solicitors that they hired to settle the agreement.

The shopping district was one of the projects in the first phase to be launched, but Byakuya himself had yet to visit the place. He should though, since the elders had yet to come to a conclusion on whether the clan as a whole would contribute to the rejuvenation project. His report on the shopping district would help sway their decision.

"Rukia," Byakuya called to his sister. "I will go with you and Renji."

"Eh?" Rukia gave him a wide-eyed look, having not realised that her adopted brother had heard her every word. "Niisama, I didn't think you would be interested...?"

Byakuya gestured to his fukutaichou and sister to lead the way, "Shiba Kaien proposed a rejuvenation project for the residents of Rukongai. The shopping district is part of the first phase to be launched. I would like to visit the place and take a look."

With a delighted 'Yes!", Rukia led them through the district, showing them the walkways across the lotus pond where storks and cranes were fishing, the food stalls that boasted street snacks, souvenir shops selling quality ornaments, clothing stores and lastly, the café that she recommended.

Byakuya knew that his adopted sister usually restrained her enthusiasm in front of him, too nervous and anxious to earn his approval. Seeing her happily walk down the gangway leading to the café, Byakuya hoped that this outing would encourage her to be more honest with her feelings when she was with him.

"Ichigo!" she called out as she swung open the door, the bell hanging above head ringing loudly.

Byakuya did not expect her to know that name, much less be comfortable enough to call the owner by his given name.

"Rukia!" Shiba Ichigo greeted from behind the counter, poking his head out from a display case. When he caught sight of Renji and Byakuya, his smile widened.

"Byakuya, Renji! Welcome!"

Byakuya felt himself freeze at the informal greeting. He didn't know what face he was making, focused as he was in the way Ichigo's grin reached his eyes. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Rukia pause and stare at him before swiveling towards Ichigo.

When Byakuya didn't say anything about Ichigo using his given name, Rukia spluttered. "Niisama...?"

"Today's lunch features karashi mentaiko, so I hope you like spicy food," Ichigo continued, preparing a drink as a dark-haired girl appeared from behind the counter to lead them to a table.

"I'm Karin," the dark-haired girl introduced herself, looking bored. "Do you want menus or would you like 'Niisan to recommend a new drink to you? He has a knack for knowing what you might like."

"I'm fine with whatever Ichigo recommends," Rukia said quickly. Then, she told the two men, "I haven't tried everything on the menu yet so Ichigo recommends different drinks to me every time I come."

Byakuya was amazed. Rukia have spoken more words to him in a single day than she'd ever had before. She also look far more relaxed than she'd ever been in his presence. She even sat up and knelt on the seat to watch the stage when three performers drifted onto the dais wearing dresses that resembled peacock feathers.

"Anything Ichigo recommends," Byakuya repeated the words. He didn't see Renji turn to him in surprise at the informal way he called the strawberry blond.

Ichigo came soon after, bearing a tray with drinks for the three of them. Rukia was presented with a green tea latte with delicate white sakura jelly floating on top. Renji was given a tall drink of vivid red and orange that fizzed ominously.

As the two younger shinigami oohed and ahhed over their respective drinks, Byakuya himself was given a cup with steaming brown liquid with white foam on top. On the foam was a drawing of Ambassador Seaweed.

"Rukia told me that you were the one who designed this character," Ichigo said with a teasing smile before leaving to help another group of customers flagging at him.

Byakuya felt no shame at admitting his hobby. It had allowed him to connect with Rukia when she first found his drawings and cooed over the cute character. It made her feel free enough to open up to him.

Needless to say, Ambassador Seaweed held a special place in his heart.

Seeing his precious creation, such a personal thing, dedicated back to him... it was doing something to him.

"This is good," Renji looked surprised at his drink after taking a sip. "It's a little bubbly on the tongue though."

"It's the soda," Rukia informed him. "It's a drink from the living world that Ichigo adds in to produce the fizz."

Hearing that made Byakuya loosen the fist his right hand was in (when did that even happen?). That was new information to Byakuya, Ichigo using produce from the living world for his café. How did he manage to get this soda? Did Shiba Kaien obtain it for him?

"How is your drink, 'Niisama?" Rukia asked, curiously peering at his drink and only discovering the drawing on it. "It's Ambassador Seaweed! How cute!"

"You showed him a picture of my drawing?" Byakuya asked her and she smiled sheepishly.

"I did," she admitted. "I wanted to know if he knows how to make cookies with that shape. He said that he would have to make specialised moulds for it."

"I didn't expect him to draw Ambassador Seaweed on drinks though," she said excitedly. "I wonder if he can draw Chappy for me next time?"

Byakuya took a sip of his drink, carefully avoiding smudging the drawing. It became lopsided and he immediately felt regretful at the sight of it. It was truly a nice drawing from Ichigo.

He was so preoccupied with the drawing that it took him a little longer to become aware of the slight bitterness underlying the fragrant cream and sweetness on his tongue. His drink was a coffee latte, he believe Ichigo called it. Even though he didn't really like sweets, he found himself liking this unusual drink.

"It's chewy," Rukia informed Renji when he asked her about the little transparent blocks of jelly atop her drink. In them were little cherry blossom buds. She was passing one to Renji to let him try when Ichigo arrived with their lunch boxes.

"I hope you enjoy the drinks and food," Ichigo said, placing a beautifully made bentou box in front of Byakuya. There were crispy chicken karaage, agedashi tofu and miso glazed eggplants in each compartment and on top of the fluffy rice was a generous helping of the karashi mentaiko that Ichigo mentioned before.

Byakuya tentatively picked up his chopsticks to try the rice mixed with the mentaiko. The tingle of spice hit his tongue immediately and he hummed with approval. It was just the right amount of spiciness that he preferred.

The three of them ate in silence, enjoying the meal even as Rukia drank the extra water Ichigo brought her when she complained about the spiciness. At one point, a stork landed at the railing near their table and a girl with long brown hair ran out to offer it a small fish so it wouldn't disturb their customers.

"That's Yuzu," Rukia pointed out. "She's Ichigo's youngest sister."

So that's the one Yoruichi was scared of upsetting, thought Byakuya, watching the girl gently coax the stork to fly away.

After lunch, Ichigo came to retrieve the lunchboxes and clean their table. But before they could leave, he arrived with water and some cookies.

"Palate cleansers," he said, placing the cups and plate in front of them. Then he waited with his tray, watching their reactions.

Rukia took one look at the plate and squealed, "You did it!"

The cookies were seaweed cookies in the shape of Ambassador Seaweed and Byakuya couldn't help but admire them with a keen eye. When he looked up, Ichigo was waiting for his response with a large expectant smile.

Much to his own surprise, the smile made the long still heart in his chest jump a beat.

"They're perfect," Byakuya said, giving Ichigo a soft smile he couldn't quite hide.

Beside him, both Renji and Rukia was staring at him with eyes as large as dinner plates.

And for once, Kuchiki Byakuya just couldn't bring himself to care.

****

Every week after that, Rukia would request Renji fetch her favourite cookies from Strawberry Kiss-aten.

Inevitably, Byakuya would end up walking with his fukutaichou to the shopping district to purchase his own preferred cookies, even though he could have easily tasked his vice-captain to buy it for him as well.

Every time he went to Strawberry Kiss-aten, Ichigo would smile at him in a way that made Byakuya heart skip a beat. It was, frankly, a little intimidating to find himself in such a situation. The last time he had such a visceral reaction was when he first met Hisana and... well... it hadn't ended pleasantly for his heart.

Still, Byakuya could never bring himself to regret loving Hisana and now, with Ichigo... perhaps it wouldn't be so bleak for him to maybe hope for a better outcome this time.

****

It only took all of three visits before Byakuya realised that Rukia only ever asked Renji to go buy her cookies when her brother was with his fukutaichou.

He couldn't believe he was so transparent that even his sister saw through him so easily.

Still, it was nice to know that Rukia supported his feelings for the strawberry blonde.

Now, if only he knew how to approach a certain Shiba clan head about a marriage proposal without getting decapitated.

***

Byakuya found out that his suspicions about Shiba Kaien being an overprotective brother figure to be true when he found Rukia huddling in his bedroom closet in an attempt to hide from her fukutaichou.

Apparently, she had accidentally revealed Byakuya's feelings for Ichigo to Shiba Kaien and he was not happy with either of the Kuchikis. Her sheepish smile did not ease his frown though he did not confront Shiba Kaien for terrorising his sister. He knew it was a matter a time before Shiba Kaien made his move.

Sure enough, two days later, Shiba Kaien requested a private meeting with him.

Walking into the meeting, Byakuya was prepared to be challenged to a duel by the overprotective Shiba clan head. Was even expecting Nejibana to be stabbed right at his head the moment he opened the door.

Instead, Shiba Kaien sat at the table of Byakuya's receiving room drinking tea, looking calm and collected but subdued. On his left cheek, there was a healing bruise.

"Ichigo didn't appreciate me terrorising his friends because I couldn't respect his choice," Shiba Kaien explained away said bruise. "Especially my own squad member. We got into a fight. It was a brutal beatdown."

Looking at his bruised face and apparent humility, Byakuya could safely presume that Ichigo was the one doing the beatdown. For some reason, the thought made Byakuya feel inexplicably proud. And given the elevated healing factor of a shinigami, that injury would have been quite severe if it took so many days to recover. Again, Byakuya was left with wondering why Ichigo didn't go on to become a shinigami.

"I already apologised to Rukia and Matsumoto," Shiba Kaien continued. "Ichigo insisted on it. Well, even if he didn't, I would have done it anyway."

"I've been experiencing a lot of stress because of the proposals coming through for Ichigo," the other man said with a sigh. "It's not a great reason, but that's why I kinda lost it when I heard about your... thing for my cousin."

Byakuya paused at that. Proposals? From whom?

"He's young, you know," Shiba Kaien continued speaking, not realising he'd just dropped a bomb on Byakuya. "Younger than all of us. But he's always been mature for his age and he knows what he wants. Never backs down until he gets what he wants. He's always been like that. Focused and determined."

"So, I suppose what I'm trying to say is that your feelings are reciprocated," Shiba Kaien said with a sigh, running a hand through his dark hair. "And I've thought about it. You're not the worst marriage candidate for him. You're the best one, in fact. For one, I know that you won't simply propose because of connections or some such nonsense."

It was true, but Byakuya felt no need to reply to the assumption.

"Us, Shiba, we don't care for lineage or blood purity," Shiba Kaien continued with a large wave of his hand. "What matters to us is love."

"And considering you defied your elders wishes to marry your late wife," Shiba Kaien said, making Byakuya's brow tilt downwards. "Your devotion is true and admirable. It is something my clan can respect-"

"Shiba-fukutaichou," Byakuya interrupted quite rudely. "If you are here to ask if my feelings for Ichigo is true, then I can assure you that what I feel for Ichigo does not pale in comparison to what I felt for my Hisana. But love is not something to be compared."

"So, it is love," Shiba Kaien caught on immediately. "Good."

"Because my cousin has never bothered with anyone before," the Shiba head revealed. "You're the first one he's ever shown genuine interest in."

Byakuya's eyes widened at that implication.

"So, don't disappoint me, Kuchiki Byakuya," Shiba Kaien pointed at him.

Catching the meaning of his words immediately, Byakuya nodded in gratitude. It was good to receive the blessing of Ichigo's clan head.

"At least you will be a better choice than that asshole Tokinada," Shiba Kaien grumbled under his breath. At this, Byakuya frowned at him.

"What did Tsunayashiro do?" Byakuya asked, fingers twitching for Senbonzakura. "Was he the one who sent the proposal?"

"He's not the only one, but he is the most persistent," Shiba Kaien griped, finally able to get it off his chest. He'd been hiding the annoying proposal letters from Ichigo and burning them when no one was looking. "I told him to stay away and what does he do? Send delivery requests specifically asking for Ichigo. To his home! The audacity! Luckily, the café haven't started on delivery service yet."

"Hire delivery workers," Byakuya suggested quickly and Shiba Kaien gave him a scathing look.

"We're training them right now," the fukutaichou shot back. Then he shook his head, "Never mind that. I came here for another reason."

Byakuya tilted his head to indicate he was listening and Shiba Kaien stated his request, "I want your formal engagement to take place as soon as possible, but you must postpone the wedding for another decade."

"Why?" Byakuya questioned. A decade!?

"Your early formal engagement will get those harpies off my back as soon as possible," Shiba Kaien replied. "Your prolonged engagement would allow the two of you time to learn more about each other, become more comfortable with the idea of being married to each other and it will give you both time to think things through."

"Furthermore, I wasn't joking when I said Ichigo was young," Shiba Kaien said with a roll of his eyes. "If possible, I would have wanted him to remain single for another 50 years, but that boy is so stubborn. Won't hear a word of it. When I said that it's too quick, he just ignored me."

"I bet he loves stubbornly too. So you're in for it," Shiba Kaien warned, but Byakuya didn't react to the threat.

Because the truth was, Kuchiki Byakuya loves stubbornly too.

*

*

End of Chapter 4

Notes:

So, Ichigo's favourite food is Karashi Mentaiko and Byakuya's fave food is spicy food. Is it a coincidence?

I THINK NOT!!!

lol I just had to bring it up

[thegeminisage]

ETA: additions to this post (and fic recs!) are in this tag!

YOU KNOW WHAT THE BEST THING EVER IS? IT’S SOULMATE AUS LIKE GOD DAMN I HAVE SEEN SO MANY ON FFN/LJ/AO3/TUMBLR OVER THE YEARS LIKE:

the one where you only see color once you meet your soulmate(s) (so you don’t know them until you see them), and it goes away when they die

the one where you don’t know your soulmate(s) until you touch them

the one where you don'y know your soulmate(s) until you hear them speak, or hear them speak a certain word; your name, for example

the one where you get the name of the person in their handwriting on your body somewhere at a certain age

the one where the first thing they say to you appears instead

the one where you get each others’ fingerprints

the one where you get matching marks/symbols/tattoos

the one where your marks or words that change depending on what’s going on with your soulmate(s)

the one with the clock that counts down the time until you meet your soulmate(s) (multiple clock for multiple soulmates? one click until you meet them both? unexpected third soulmate showing up after the clocks drop?)

the one where when you sleep you dream of whatever they’re experiencing from their point of view until you find them, or AFTER you find them

the one where you can straight up talk to them in dreams until/after you find them

the one where you form a telepathic/empathetic link until/after you find them

the one where you share extreme physical sensation until/after you find them; if one of you hurts the other one hurts, if one of you is getting lucky the other one gets a little hot and bothered

the one where the closer you are to them the more aware of them you become, and you find them playing a hot/cold game; for instance, colors get brighter and brighter the closer you are and fade into gray when they’re too far away

the one where once you turn a certain age/one night a year you swap bodies with them for one night and you have a limited amount of time to leave/collect clues to their identity

the one where being next to your soulmate(s) can heal you from things people don’t normally heal from

the one where only your soulmate(s) can kill you (maybe you can still be killed by age/disease, maybe not, maybe you become vulnerable only after you lose your soulmate(s))

the one where reincarnation is also a thing and meeting your soulmate(s) either unlocks or erases memories or your past lives until the next one

the one where in universes with magic meeting your soulmate(s) activates your powers/unlocks more powerful magic

SOULMATE AUS WITH COMPLICATIONS:

blind characters who can’t see if the world’s in color or black and white

characters like x-men’s rogue who literally can’t touch people; characters who have been through trauma who don’t want to touch people

hard of hearing characters like clint barton who can’t hear their soulmate speak without hearing aids/at all or on the flipside characters who can’t speak; maybe it still works in sign language, or maybe it doesn’t

people who can’t read/can’t read the language the words on their body are in

characters like bucky barnes who’ve lost hands and/or had their fingerprints removed

soulmate clocks that time out in the middle of the crowd; there’s an entire craigslist category for finding who else was there that day with a clock that timed out too

famous characters speaking to or performing for a crowd and suddenly their world is in color/their clock times out/etc and every member of the audience pretends to be this celebrity’s soulmate and a cinderella type situation ensues with the finding

soulmates playing the hot/cold game and they kEEP MISSING EACH OTHER

insomniacs who rarely sleep, much less at the same time/different time than their soulmates

soulmate ot3s/ot4s/otmores where you dream in varying people’s povs every time you sleep and get super confused

people who get sick or injured and frantically search for their soulmates so they can survive

people who need to be in medically induced comas and their soulmates have to stay away so they don’t accidentally wake them up

the one where soulbonding is actually a choice and someone chooses to bond with someone they may not know or like to save their lives and have to figure out if they can unbond or if they have to live with the situation (and of course learn to love one another either romantically or not)

new souls who don’t get memories of past lives because they don’t have one and panic

muggles/people without powers who of course CAN’T get them upgraded or unlocked

COMBINATION AUS:

the one where you one or both of you have to do all three (see your soulmate(s), touch your soulmate(s), hear your soulmate(s)), or all three have to happen at least once between the 2+ of you

or it’s completely random how you find your soulmate(s): one of you gets a name and the other gets a fingerprint, one of you has to hear your soulmate and one of you has to see them, etc; particularly useful if you happen to be blind or deaf

same for characters with other disabilities/who have “complications”: they get or find a different way of finding their soulmates, not better or worse, just different

THEN THERE’S SOULMATE AUS THAT DON’T HAVE TO CONFORM TO LIFELONG MONOGAMY:

the ones where you have more than one romantic soulmate at the same time or you get a new soulmate after the first dies

the ones where people have multiple soulmates of different types and it’s color coded; a red name/mark/etc for love, a blue one for friendship, etc; for the ones where you start seeing color you get a new one for each soulmate

the ones where some people have romantic soulmates and some don’t, and those that don’t are still perfectly happy anyway, maybe in a relationship anyway, maybe not

the ones where some people have multiple romantic soulmates who may or may not also be soulmates with each other

aromantic or asexual people who have soulmates who are not and they manage to work it out

romantic and sexual people who don’t have soulmates but find happiness anyway, either with someone like them or someone not like them

SOULMATE AUS THAT EXPLORE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF SOULMATES BEING A THING:

the ones where soulmates are for everyone and get legal aid to help stay together, like if their in-laws try to keep them apart/someone risks getting deported/someone gets drafted/whatever

the ones where soulmates are super super rare and TECHNICALLY get exempted from shitty things like “people of different races/the same sex/etc can’t get married/have relations/etc” but maybe still face a lot of prejudice and they fight to get those types of awful laws lifted for everyone

agencies that exist to help you find your soulmate(s) or figure out which soulmate thing you have but some of them are just shams, bonus points for this being in a verse where the thing is exceedingly rare to begin with

people pretending to be soulmates to take advantage of the laws, for good or ill; the couple who loves just as fiercely as a soulmates who will do anything to stay together, or the shitty people who try to claim they’re mated to people who’ve rejected them so they “have” to stay together

tabloid mags photoshopping matching soulmate marks or following big legal cases where someone tries to prove or disprove that they are soulmates with someone else

soulmates in universes where they’re a rarity or rare soulmate types like ot3s/ot4s/otmores in dodging government officials because they don’t want to become lab rats

people who don’t believe in soulmates until it happens to them, or people who believe hardcore and want to find theirs but they don’t necessarily have one, or don’t have a romantic one

little rituals that make finding your soulmate more likely, like shaking hands with people as often as possible even with the cashier ringing up your groceries, repeating each other’s names after you’re introduced, etc

just give me alllll the soulmate aus ok, give me people finding each other in spite of complications, give me all the delightful plot twists, give me detailed worlds where this changes the norms, give me it working out in the end whether romantically or not, bonded or not

feel free to reblog with sources! (or MORE AUS.) a little over half of these are things i’ve seen elsewhere over time and i cannot remember where they are all from

haha or if you’re into this sorta thing you could just take pity on me and reblog it anyway this took an embarrassingly long time to type up oh my god ;;;;;;;;;

[maharlika]

emerges from an excruciating mental breakdown just to say: arranged marriage AU between byakuya (a kuchiki) and ichigo (a shiba)

pls imagine:

- a byakuya who is still grieving and is tossed into an ~advantageous arranged marriage due to his family's wishes. he thinks this has to be some kind of punishment for marrying hisana in the first place—to be forced into a loveless partnership with a man he barely knows

- an ichigo who has grown up half in the human world and half in soul society and has...interesting ideas about how things should be

- byakuya is cold and formal and is doing everything that is expected of him and ichigo sees this and sighs and takes him to the living world...there are movies, amusement parks, malls, libraries. museums. botanical gardens. carnivals, beaches. life. there is so much life.

- maybe they kiss about it!!!!

- the rukia thing happens and byakuya is byakuya about it and ichigo gets his ass and now byakuya has to fight and/or kill his husband. GREAT. he's not having a breakdown about it or whatever

okay good night i just love arranged marriage fics and the slow and unexpected melting of kuchiki byakuya's glacial heart 🥲

[demoniqt]

Mending the Pieces - Chapter 1 - demoniqt - Bleach (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64509397/chapters/165662107#main

Summary:

When the Kuchiki family is presented with a proposal that would merge two conglomerate giants, Byakuya makes a decision that shatters the trust between Ichigo and him. Now, Ichigo is left wondering what will become of him when Byakuya marries.

Ichigo goes through several bouts of ill-advised relationships while nursing a broken heart.

[demoniqt]

Strawberry Kiss-aten 🍓

Chapter 4

Kuchiki Byakuya didn't meet Shiba Ichigo again until he found Rukia harping about a café at the new Shiba Shopping District to Renji.

It had been months since the meeting and though Byakuya had received the official proposal, the contract and its amendments, he had yet to lay eyes on the auburn-haired young man again. Most of the discussions were made with Shiba Kaien or the solicitors that they hired to settle the agreement.

The shopping district was one of the projects in the first phase to be launched, but Byakuya himself had yet to visit the place. He should though, since the elders had yet to come to a conclusion on whether the clan as a whole would contribute to the rejuvenation project. His report on the shopping district would help sway their decision.

"Rukia," Byakuya called to his sister. "I will go with you and Renji."

"Eh?" Rukia gave him a wide-eyed look, having not realised that her adopted brother had heard her every word. "Niisama, I didn't think you would be interested...?"

Byakuya gestured to his fukutaichou and sister to lead the way, "Shiba Kaien proposed a rejuvenation project for the residents of Rukongai. The shopping district is part of the first phase to be launched. I would like to visit the place and take a look."

With a delighted 'Yes!", Rukia led them through the district, showing them the walkways across the lotus pond where storks and cranes were fishing, the food stalls that boasted street snacks, souvenir shops selling quality ornaments, clothing stores and lastly, the café that she recommended.

Byakuya knew that his adopted sister usually restrained her enthusiasm in front of him, too nervous and anxious to earn his approval. Seeing her happily walk down the gangway leading to the café, Byakuya hoped that this outing would encourage her to be more honest with her feelings when she was with him.

"Ichigo!" she called out as she swung open the door, the bell hanging above head ringing loudly.

Byakuya did not expect her to know that name, much less be comfortable enough to call the owner by his given name.

"Rukia!" Shiba Ichigo greeted from behind the counter, poking his head out from a display case. When he caught sight of Renji and Byakuya, his smile widened.

"Byakuya, Renji! Welcome!"

Byakuya felt himself freeze at the informal greeting. He didn't know what face he was making, focused as he was in the way Ichigo's grin reached his eyes. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Rukia pause and stare at him before swiveling towards Ichigo.

When Byakuya didn't say anything about Ichigo using his given name, Rukia spluttered. "Niisama...?"

"Today's lunch features karashi mentaiko, so I hope you like spicy food," Ichigo continued, preparing a drink as a dark-haired girl appeared from behind the counter to lead them to a table.

"I'm Karin," the dark-haired girl introduced herself, looking bored. "Do you want menus or would you like 'Niisan to recommend a new drink to you? He has a knack for knowing what you might like."

"I'm fine with whatever Ichigo recommends," Rukia said quickly. Then, she told the two men, "I haven't tried everything on the menu yet so Ichigo recommends different drinks to me every time I come."

Byakuya was amazed. Rukia have spoken more words to him in a single day than she'd ever had before. She also look far more relaxed than she'd ever been in his presence. She even sat up and knelt on the seat to watch the stage when three performers drifted onto the dais wearing dresses that resembled peacock feathers.

"Anything Ichigo recommends," Byakuya repeated the words. He didn't see Renji turn to him in surprise at the informal way he called the strawberry blond.

Ichigo came soon after, bearing a tray with drinks for the three of them. Rukia was presented with a green tea latte with delicate white sakura jelly floating on top. Renji was given a tall drink of vivid red and orange that fizzed ominously.

As the two younger shinigami oohed and ahhed over their respective drinks, Byakuya himself was given a cup with steaming brown liquid with white foam on top. On the foam was a drawing of Ambassador Seaweed.

"Rukia told me that you were the one who designed this character," Ichigo said with a teasing smile before leaving to help another group of customers flagging at him.

Byakuya felt no shame at admitting his hobby. It had allowed him to connect with Rukia when she first found his drawings and cooed over the cute character. It made her feel free enough to open up to him.

Needless to say, Ambassador Seaweed held a special place in his heart.

Seeing his precious creation, such a personal thing, dedicated back to him... it was doing something to him.

"This is good," Renji looked surprised at his drink after taking a sip. "It's a little bubbly on the tongue though."

"It's the soda," Rukia informed him. "It's a drink from the living world that Ichigo adds in to produce the fizz."

Hearing that made Byakuya loosen the fist his right hand was in (when did that even happen?). That was new information to Byakuya, Ichigo using produce from the living world for his café. How did he manage to get this soda? Did Shiba Kaien obtain it for him?

"How is your drink, 'Niisama?" Rukia asked, curiously peering at his drink and only discovering the drawing on it. "It's Ambassador Seaweed! How cute!"

"You showed him a picture of my drawing?" Byakuya asked her and she smiled sheepishly.

"I did," she admitted. "I wanted to know if he knows how to make cookies with that shape. He said that he would have to make specialised moulds for it."

"I didn't expect him to draw Ambassador Seaweed on drinks though," she said excitedly. "I wonder if he can draw Chappy for me next time?"

Byakuya took a sip of his drink, carefully avoiding smudging the drawing. It became lopsided and he immediately felt regretful at the sight of it. It was truly a nice drawing from Ichigo.

He was so preoccupied with the drawing that it took him a little longer to become aware of the slight bitterness underlying the fragrant cream and sweetness on his tongue. His drink was a coffee latte, he believe Ichigo called it. Even though he didn't really like sweets, he found himself liking this unusual drink.

"It's chewy," Rukia informed Renji when he asked her about the little transparent blocks of jelly atop her drink. In them were little cherry blossom buds. She was passing one to Renji to let him try when Ichigo arrived with their lunch boxes.

"I hope you enjoy the drinks and food," Ichigo said, placing a beautifully made bentou box in front of Byakuya. There were crispy chicken karaage, agedashi tofu and miso glazed eggplants in each compartment and on top of the fluffy rice was a generous helping of the karashi mentaiko that Ichigo mentioned before.

Byakuya tentatively picked up his chopsticks to try the rice mixed with the mentaiko. The tingle of spice hit his tongue immediately and he hummed with approval. It was just the right amount of spiciness that he preferred.

The three of them ate in silence, enjoying the meal even as Rukia drank the extra water Ichigo brought her when she complained about the spiciness. At one point, a stork landed at the railing near their table and a girl with long brown hair ran out to offer it a small fish so it wouldn't disturb their customers.

"That's Yuzu," Rukia pointed out. "She's Ichigo's youngest sister."

So that's the one Yoruichi was scared of upsetting, thought Byakuya, watching the girl gently coax the stork to fly away.

After lunch, Ichigo came to retrieve the lunchboxes and clean their table. But before they could leave, he arrived with water and some cookies.

"Palate cleansers," he said, placing the cups and plate in front of them. Then he waited with his tray, watching their reactions.

Rukia took one look at the plate and squealed, "You did it!"

The cookies were seaweed cookies in the shape of Ambassador Seaweed and Byakuya couldn't help but admire them with a keen eye. When he looked up, Ichigo was waiting for his response with a large expectant smile.

Much to his own surprise, the smile made the long still heart in his chest jump a beat.

"They're perfect," Byakuya said, giving Ichigo a soft smile he couldn't quite hide.

Beside him, both Renji and Rukia was staring at him with eyes as large as dinner plates.

And for once, Kuchiki Byakuya just couldn't bring himself to care.

****

Every week after that, Rukia would request Renji fetch her favourite cookies from Strawberry Kiss-aten.

Inevitably, Byakuya would end up walking with his fukutaichou to the shopping district to purchase his own preferred cookies, even though he could have easily tasked his vice-captain to buy it for him as well.

Every time he went to Strawberry Kiss-aten, Ichigo would smile at him in a way that made Byakuya heart skip a beat. It was, frankly, a little intimidating to find himself in such a situation. The last time he had such a visceral reaction was when he first met Hisana and... well... it hadn't ended pleasantly for his heart.

Still, Byakuya could never bring himself to regret loving Hisana and now, with Ichigo... perhaps it wouldn't be so bleak for him to maybe hope for a better outcome this time.

****

It only took all of three visits before Byakuya realised that Rukia only ever asked Renji to go buy her cookies when her brother was with his fukutaichou.

He couldn't believe he was so transparent that even his sister saw through him so easily.

Still, it was nice to know that Rukia supported his feelings for the strawberry blonde.

Now, if only he knew how to approach a certain Shiba clan head about a marriage proposal without getting decapitated.

***

Byakuya found out that his suspicions about Shiba Kaien being an overprotective brother figure to be true when he found Rukia huddling in his bedroom closet in an attempt to hide from her fukutaichou.

Apparently, she had accidentally revealed Byakuya's feelings for Ichigo to Shiba Kaien and he was not happy with either of the Kuchikis. Her sheepish smile did not ease his frown though he did not confront Shiba Kaien for terrorising his sister. He knew it was a matter a time before Shiba Kaien made his move.

Sure enough, two days later, Shiba Kaien requested a private meeting with him.

Walking into the meeting, Byakuya was prepared to be challenged to a duel by the overprotective Shiba clan head. Was even expecting Nejibana to be stabbed right at his head the moment he opened the door.

Instead, Shiba Kaien sat at the table of Byakuya's receiving room drinking tea, looking calm and collected but subdued. On his left cheek, there was a healing bruise.

"Ichigo didn't appreciate me terrorising his friends because I couldn't respect his choice," Shiba Kaien explained away said bruise. "Especially my own squad member. We got into a fight. It was a brutal beatdown."

Looking at his bruised face and apparent humility, Byakuya could safely presume that Ichigo was the one doing the beatdown. For some reason, the thought made Byakuya feel inexplicably proud. And given the elevated healing factor of a shinigami, that injury would have been quite severe if it took so many days to recover. Again, Byakuya was left with wondering why Ichigo didn't go on to become a shinigami.

"I already apologised to Rukia and Matsumoto," Shiba Kaien continued. "Ichigo insisted on it. Well, even if he didn't, I would have done it anyway."

"I've been experiencing a lot of stress because of the proposals coming through for Ichigo," the other man said with a sigh. "It's not a great reason, but that's why I kinda lost it when I heard about your... thing for my cousin."

Byakuya paused at that. Proposals? From whom?

"He's young, you know," Shiba Kaien continued speaking, not realising he'd just dropped a bomb on Byakuya. "Younger than all of us. But he's always been mature for his age and he knows what he wants. Never backs down until he gets what he wants. He's always been like that. Focused and determined."

"So, I suppose what I'm trying to say is that your feelings are reciprocated," Shiba Kaien said with a sigh, running a hand through his dark hair. "And I've thought about it. You're not the worst marriage candidate for him. You're the best one, in fact. For one, I know that you won't simply propose because of connections or some such nonsense."

It was true, but Byakuya felt no need to reply to the assumption.

"Us, Shiba, we don't care for lineage or blood purity," Shiba Kaien continued with a large wave of his hand. "What matters to us is love."

"And considering you defied your elders wishes to marry your late wife," Shiba Kaien said, making Byakuya's brow tilt downwards. "Your devotion is true and admirable. It is something my clan can respect-"

"Shiba-fukutaichou," Byakuya interrupted quite rudely. "If you are here to ask if my feelings for Ichigo is true, then I can assure you that what I feel for Ichigo does not pale in comparison to what I felt for my Hisana. But love is not something to be compared."

"So, it is love," Shiba Kaien caught on immediately. "Good."

"Because my cousin has never bothered with anyone before," the Shiba head revealed. "You're the first one he's ever shown genuine interest in."

Byakuya's eyes widened at that implication.

"So, don't disappoint me, Kuchiki Byakuya," Shiba Kaien pointed at him.

Catching the meaning of his words immediately, Byakuya nodded in gratitude. It was good to receive the blessing of Ichigo's clan head.

"At least you will be a better choice than that asshole Tokinada," Shiba Kaien grumbled under his breath. At this, Byakuya frowned at him.

"What did Tsunayashiro do?" Byakuya asked, fingers twitching for Senbonzakura. "Was he the one who sent the proposal?"

"He's not the only one, but he is the most persistent," Shiba Kaien griped, finally able to get it off his chest. He'd been hiding the annoying proposal letters from Ichigo and burning them when no one was looking. "I told him to stay away and what does he do? Send delivery requests specifically asking for Ichigo. To his home! The audacity! Luckily, the café haven't started on delivery service yet."

"Hire delivery workers," Byakuya suggested quickly and Shiba Kaien gave him a scathing look.

"We're training them right now," the fukutaichou shot back. Then he shook his head, "Never mind that. I came here for another reason."

Byakuya tilted his head to indicate he was listening and Shiba Kaien stated his request, "I want your formal engagement to take place as soon as possible, but you must postpone the wedding for another decade."

"Why?" Byakuya questioned. A decade!?

"Your early formal engagement will get those harpies off my back as soon as possible," Shiba Kaien replied. "Your prolonged engagement would allow the two of you time to learn more about each other, become more comfortable with the idea of being married to each other and it will give you both time to think things through."

"Furthermore, I wasn't joking when I said Ichigo was young," Shiba Kaien said with a roll of his eyes. "If possible, I would have wanted him to remain single for another 50 years, but that boy is so stubborn. Won't hear a word of it. When I said that it's too quick, he just ignored me."

"I bet he loves stubbornly too. So you're in for it," Shiba Kaien warned, but Byakuya didn't react to the threat.

Because the truth was, Kuchiki Byakuya loves stubbornly too.

*

*

End of Chapter 4

Notes:

So, Ichigo's favourite food is Karashi Mentaiko and Byakuya's fave food is spicy food. Is it a coincidence?

I THINK NOT!!!

lol I just had to bring it up

[demoniqt]

Strawberry Kiss-aten 🍓

Chapter THREE

Contrary to what Rukia believed, Kuchiki Byakuya first met Ichigo three months after the announcement made by the Shiba clan concerning their new members.

He had been walking home when he came across Yoruichi in her cat form surreptitiously stalking someone. She was peering behind a wall when he saw her and quickly disappeared to run after a person with what Byakuya could only call auburn red hair. Not like Renji's glaring red hair, but a golden red that bordered on sunset orange.

Suspicious of Yoruichi and her mischievousness, he followed her from a distance. She was scaling the walls and hiding whenever the person she was stalking paused and looked around.

Finally, when both the young man and Yoruichi disappeared into an alley way, Byakuya couldn't hide his curiosity and annoyance towards the menace anymore. He walked into the alleyway, prepared to confront Yoruichi for her behaviour.

Only to witness the black cat munching on a dried piece of fish while being petted by the young man.

The young man looked up from where he squatted, wide-eyed and surprised at seeing Byakuya.

Meanwhile, Yoruichi ignored Byakuya in favour of chewing on her treat. When the young man stopped petting her, she flicked her tail at his hand and he started smoothing his hand on her glossy fur again.

"Um, can I help you?" asked the young man, his golden brown eyes turning bright amber in the evening light. His hair had escaped his loose braid and it curled fetchingly around his face.

Months ago, Byakuya had been informed by his grandfather that there were four new members to the Shiba clan, the wife of the late and estranged uncle of Shiba Kaien and the three children, who were oddly enough named after fruits. He remembered thinking that Ichigo was a strange choice to name a son, until his grandfather informed him that it was written as 'first protector'.

Not many people have seen the new members of the Shiba clan yet, though gossip circulating around mentioned that the new members didn't look like them, not dark-haired like most nobles, but with hair and eyes that shone like the evening sun and with beauty to match the comparison.

Byakuya found himself thinking that the rumours were once again inaccurate, because he found Shiba Ichigo to be more handsome than the gossip had implied.

"Yoruichi, what are you doing?" Byakuya asked instead, mentally shaking himself from his inappropriate staring. He should be more concerned over Yoruichi's potential mischief.

But the feline in question ignored him, continuing to purr while savouring her treat. Shiba Ichigo looked down at her, then back at him, face bewildered.

"Yoru-? What? No..." the new Shiba spluttered. "It's just a cat."

Yoruichi meowed, her voice rumbling in discontentment because Ichigo stopped petting her head. Then, much to Byakuya's surprise, Shiba Ichigo grabbed the black cat by the underarms and showed the feline to him, arms extended like he was trying to hand the cat to Byakuya.

"It's just a cat," the auburn-haired young man said. "If it's Yoruichi-san, she wouldn't have let me hold her like this."

Faced with Yoruichi's annoyed face, Byakuya was the only one who could see Yoruichi sticking her tongue out at him before she faked another meow, as if she was just a normal cat that was deprived of her treat.

"See," Shiba Ichigo said, pulling the cat back into his arms and apologising for manhandling her. He leaned down to take out another dried fish from his groceries for her. But the black cat nuzzled at his sleeve and that was when Shiba Ichigo realised what she was really after.

"Oh, you want this?" he asked her, pulling out a package that turned out to be catnip. He squatted down and slowly fed her some of the grass, not noticing Byakuya still standing there watching him instead of the feline that was 100 percent the hell cat that tormented Byakuya when he was a child.

Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed out of exasperation, half because of Yoruichi and half because of his own preccupation with Shiba Ichigo. Whatever mischief Yoruichi was planning didn't concern him. Let Shiba Ichigo be the one to clean up whatever mess she made.

Furthermore, it was also a bad idea to get involved with the new branch member of the Shiba clan. His family elders had been pressuring him to remarry for a while now. If they find out that he had an interest, however fleeting, on the auburn-haired man, they would jump to all sorts of conclusion and either throw a fit or bray for a matchmaking session.

Shiba Ichigo might be a branch member but he was also from the True First bloodline. It was confirmed by Kaien, the head of the Shiba clan, which meant any noble would clamor for the opportunity to tie their clans together.

Decision made, Byakuya was ready to turn away and ignore everything when Yoruichi meowed loudly and Shiba Ichigo laughed. He threw his head back and gave a full on unfettered laugh, showing off the clean lines of his neck and the unrestrained joy on his face.

Byakuya found himself staring, and only managed to snap out of it when Yoruichi wriggled out of Ichigo's arms and drunkenly ran head on into a crate nearby.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Shiba Ichigo, but not before a barking laugh escaped his lips. "Yoruichi-san! Are you alright?"

He rescued the intoxicated cat out of the crate, still snickering before noticing Byakuya still there, giving him a judgmental look.

"So you do know who the cat is," Byakuya accused, brows frowning at the auburn-haired man.

"Yeah," Shiba Ichigo admitted, patting the black cat on the head sheepishly. Yoruichi's eyes were beginning to cross. "See. She played a prank on my sisters a few days ago. Acted like a real cat and Yuzu wanted to keep her as a pet. She was devastated when it turned out to be Kuukaku's friend Yoruichi-san."

"So I baited her with catnip and led her here," Shiba Ichigo concluded with a sneaky grin. He hefted the catnip-drunk cat to show Byakuya. "Don't worry. I didn't give her a lot of catnip. She'll only be a little high for an hour or two before she starts terrorising all of us again."

For his part, Byakuya couldn't help the twitch at the corner of his lips. If he had to be honest, it was pretty funny to see Yoruichi get intoxicated like this. After all the suffering she had put him through, he thought that she deserved a little karma.

"Hmm," he finally said. "I see you have her well at hand. I will leave her care to you."

Shiba Ichigo grinned at him, hoisting the cat to rest comfortably in his arms. "She's gonna wake up with ribbons and maybe a little frock on her. I'll send you a picture."

Byakuya bit his lips to prevent himself from laughing aloud at the image Shiba Ichigo painted. Instead, he said, "I look forward to it."

He hesitated for a minute, just standing there, face to face with Shiba Ichigo. Normal bystanders would have described Byakuya and Ichigo the epitome of night and day, one light one dark. But for that one moment, for the first time in years, Byakuya felt... connected.

It made him want to reach out and touch someone.

And that someone was Shiba Ichigo.

Byakuya cleared his throat then and nodded to Shiba Ichigo, before quickly fleeing back to the privacy of his own home, all thoughts and feelings suppressed by long practice and determination.

A day later, a messenger came to deliver a picture of Yoruichi, looking slightly cross-eyed and annoyed, with a ribbon around her neck and a pink frock. She being hugged by a happy brown-haired girl. In the background, he could see Shiba Kuukaku laughing herself sick.

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips then.

****

The second time Kuchiki Byakuya met Shiba Ichigo was during a meeting between nobles a few weeks later.

Shiba Kaien had requested a meeting to propose a seven-phase project that would improve the living standards for the residents in Rukongai. It was a long rejuvenation project that would span decades, aimed to help the residents in the outer Rukongai to find jobs and safer homes.

Kuchiki Byakuya listened carefully to the proposal, though he didn't miss the presence of Shiba Ichigo, who sat behind his clan head watching the proceeding with tentative eyes behind his bangs. It also didn't escape Byakuya's notice that whenever Shiba Kaien had difficulty answering any questions, the auburn-haired young man would lean in to whisper to his cousin to relay any information or answer he might have.

Overall, it was a good proposal. Very thorough and expansive. So much so that the Shiba clan alone couldn't fund it all.

"We're not asking for donations," Shiba Kaien informed them, after a long winded explanation on when and where the phases would take place. "Think of it as investments that will pay dividends for a long time."

From the skeptical looks on the faces of the nobles present, Kuchiki Byakuya could tell that they were not keen investing in anything at all. Not when it didn't benefit them immediately.

He sat for a while, listening to the nobles discuss, argue and dismiss the idea of improving people's lives through economic means.

"It will also benefit soul society in the long run," Kaien's words became lost in the low din but Byakuya heard every word of it.

That was the crux of the proposal. To help the people of Rukongai, not the nobles themselves. It was why the nobles were hesitant in investing in the project, even with all the positive projection for profit.

Sick of the noise the nobles were making, Byakuya put the proposal down onto the table and spoke for the first time since he arrived.

"I will invest in the project," he said, loud and clear. "Even if the Kuchiki elders do not agree, I will personally fund the project myself. However long it will take."

The noise erupted as the other nobles squawked, gasped and protested. But Kuchiki Byakuya was only focused on one person, who lifted his head and let the sunset-coloured hair that covered his face fall aside.

Shiba Ichigo stared back at him, golden brown eyes wide with disbelief. Then a smile of gratitude bloomed on his lips and everything around Byakuya seem to blur and fade from his vision.

Ah, that... Maybe that wasn't such a good idea...

****

Later, when the meeting had ended and the nobles were lingering about to socialise and exchange greetings, Shiba Ichigo approached him before Byakuya managed to make his escape to thank him for his contribution.

"It is an admirable endeavour," Byakuya replied in response to his gratitude. "The Shiba clan has always been trustworthy and upright. Even if it amounts to nothing, it will not be because of a lack of effort from the clan."

Shiba Ichigo's face practically glowed from the praise and he opened his mouth to reply when a commotion attracted both their attention.

"What did you say!?" Shiba Kaien was interrogating someone, the tick at his temple clear even from a distance.

The person he was holding hostage by the collar spluttered out, "Calm down, Shiba-dono. It's not like what I said is untrue."

"You called my cousin a Rukongai rat!"

Byakuya watched with a frown as Shiba Ichigo promptly excused himself and quickly made his way to his cousin, clearly about to diffuse the situation.

"Let him go, Kaien," Ichigo said, prying his clan head's fingers off the other man's neck.

"Someone like him should be taught a lesson," Kaien said. "So he doesn't run his mouth again."

"Agreed," Ichigo said with a nod. Then he turned around and punched the man who insulted him right in the face, sending him right into the wall.

"But if anyone is to teach him a lesson, it would be me," Ichigo said to Kaien. "I'm the one he insulted, after all. And, if he's gonna run his mouth, then he better be able to back up his assholery."

With that, Shiba Ichigo gave the downed man a cold look before releasing his reiatsu. The dark energy swirled around him, oppressive and thick. The resulting pressure was enough to make the other noble choke on his own breath and nearly piss himself.

And then, just as abruptly as it started, the pressure released and the man gasped desperately on the floor, sweat pouring copiously from his forehead and tears streaming from his eyes. He was a pathetic sight, clearly out of his depth and regretting his careless words.

Kuchiki Byakuya didn't blame the man for panicking though. The amount of reiatsu Shiba Ichigo boasted was impressive and he wondered why the redhead didn't become a shinigami. He would have immediately become a seated officer once he graduated the academy.

"I don't need you to fight my battles, Kaien," the redhead was saying and his cousin threw his arm around his shoulder.

"Of course I have to. What kind of clan head would I be if I didn't defend my baby cousin," Kaien said with a grin.

"I'm not a baby!" Shiba Ichigo exclaimed, annoyed. Byakuya felt a little annoyed with himself for finding even his scowl endearing. He questioned what was wrong with himself as the two Shiba members argued.

"Maa, what a lively duo," came a voice beside Byakuya and the sixth squad captain turned to greet his fellow captain.

Kyoraku Shunsui, though head of his own clan, seldom made appearances at noble meetings unless necessary. He must have caught rumours that the new Shiba member was making an appearance and curiosity got the better of him.

"Kyoraku-taichou," Byakuya said. "You decided to invest in the rejuvenation project as well?"

"Your vote of confidence has me convinced," Kyoraku Shunsui said with a wry smile. "But seriously, it is a good proposal and I think it would help shake things up a little around here. Stagnation is the enemy of progress."

Byakuya nodded in agreement.

"They've already started with part of the first phase, you heard?" Kyoraku continued, tilting his sakkat. "The Shiba bought the swamp land at the back of the eight division. Construction has already begun."

That meant the Shibas were prepared to go ahead with the project with or without the financial help of the nobles. But funding from the other nobles would also guarantee their cooperation, so Byakuya was not surprised that Kaien had gone public with the proposal.

"I'm really curious as to what they are building there," Kyoraku said, "The landscaping alone is impressive, considering the extend of the swamp."

Byakuya tried to remember what he read of the proposal and answered, "A shopping district. To provide work opportunities and increase the economic value of the area. They hired and trained gardeners, salespeople, maintenance workers, plumbers and janitors."

Kyoraku Shunsui whistled, "I'm more impressed that you remembered all that."

When Byakuya gave him a scathing look, the 8th squad captain just laughed, "Maa, don't be so serious, Kuchiki-taichou."

Kuchiki Byakuya turned away, only to see Shiba Ichigo being teased by Shihouin Yoruichi. She was needling him about the proposal, evidently something that he had come up with. Meanwhile, Shiba Kaien was just standing back, not denying anything or claiming any credit for the project. He was obviously projecting pride for his cousin instead.

"Stop, woman! I'll tell Yuzu you want to play with her again!" Shiba Ichigo threatened Yoruichi, who gaped at his audacity. "I know you can't say no to her!"

Shiba Kaien laughed at Yoruichi's stunned face so hard he wheezed.

"Why you little-!"

Shiba Ichigo yelped when Yoruichi jumped at him but he surprisingly managed to dodge her. He ran around his cousin, using Kaien as a shield.

"Ah, how lively," Kyoraku said, but his smile dropped off his face when his words were echoed by another.

One that made all their hackles rise simultaneously.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada stood not too far, observing the rowdy nobles with an indulging eye.

An eye that Byakuya noticed was trained longer on Ichigo, trailing his long hair, now slightly disheveled from Yoruichi's rough play, down to his tapered waist and long legs. The way Tsunayashiro Tokinada eyed Ichigo made Byakuya feel a sudden desire to unsheath his sword and bury it into someone's soft belly.

The sudden bloodlust snapped Byakuya out of his glower and he quickly changed his dark expression into something more neutral.

Meanwhile, Shiba Kaien had made a pointed move to stand in front of Ichigo, greeting the other True First formally and stiffly. Tsunayashiro Tokinada returned the favour, though there was a hint of mockery in it that everyone present could pick up easily.

"Is this your new member? Your cousin?" Tsunayashiro Tokinada asked, tilting his head to eye Ichigo. Shiba Kaien shifted slightly, almost imperceptibly, to block Ichigo from his view.

"Yes, this is Ichigo," Shiba Kaien replied without fanfare.

"What a lovely hair colour you have," Tokinada said to Ichigo, as if Kaien was invisible to him.

"Thank you," Ichigo replied promptly and politely, though he offered no more than that. He looked demure, looking down at the ground like he did during the meeting, and Byakuya found it jarring. It didn't fit the lively image Byakuya had of him.

"Your father didn't have such colour, or I would remember it," Tokinada continued, making the two Shibas stiffen. "So your mother must be the one you inherited it from."

Those words made both Shiba Kaien and Shihouin Yoruichi's reiatsu become cold and domineering. Byakuya had an inkling then that there was something Tsunayashiro Tokinada knew or suspected about Ichigo's parentage.

"She must be a beauty like you too," Tokinada said, his squinted eyes opening to peer at Ichigo with a predatory gleam that made Shiba Kaien reach for his zanpaktou.

Fortunately, a hand grasped Kaien's and stopped the possible bloodshed.

Ichigo nonchalantly pushed the sword back into its scabbard and slid forward around Shiba Kaien, who took his cue from his cousin and stepped back.

"I don't know about me," Ichigo said, lifting his head to peer at Tsunayashiro Tokinada from under his lashes. "But yes, my mother is a beauty. Though, I would say she is way out of your league."

Then he gave Tokinada a smile full of teeth, his reiatsu sharp and unflinching. Byakuya could see one tendril lash out quick and almost impossible to see. It left a shallow gash on Tokinada's pale cheek.

Since Ichigo was an untrained shinigami, it could be an accident but Byakuya knew instinctively that the act was controlled and deliberate. Ichigo knew exactly what he was doing and if he wanted to, he could have decapitated Tokinada with his reiatsu alone.

Despite the apparent threat, or maybe because of it, Tsunayashiro Tokinada looked absolutely delighted. His eyes brightened at the unspoken threat and Byakuya realised that the man had taken it as a challenge instead of the warning it was to stay away from Ichigo's family.

"Ah," Kyoraku mumbled to himself. "That was a mistake."

Yoruichi seem to harbor the same thought as she got in between, pulling Ichigo away in the guise of claiming that she wanted to visit Kuukaku and his sisters. Shiba Ichigo let her, openly snubbing the Tsunayashiro family head by turning away with a roll of his eyes.

Normally, Byakuya would find it rude but, given Tsunayashiro Tokinada's unacceptable behaviour, he believed that the man deserved every bit of the disrespect. Most days, he himself felt barely any respect for that squinty-eyed man, so he didn't fault the auburn-haired man for feeling the same.

"Well, I will take this as my cue to leave," Kyoraku said, but he was still watching Shiba Kaien with a keen eye as the fukutaichou glared at the smug Tsunayashiro Tokinada, who looked disappointed that the object of his fascination had left. Then, Shiba Kaien hissed something to Tsunayashiro too low for the two captains to hear before storming away.

Byakuya felt a terrible foreboding creep up his spine as Tsunayashiro Tokinada continued to watch as the two Shibas disappeared through the door.

*

*

End of Chapter 3

[demoniqt]

Strawberry Kiss-aten 🍓

Chapter TWO

It began when a massive earthquake hit the living world, devastating part of Japan and taking out a large chunk of a town called Karakura. Many people died and to ensure that the souls passed on to properly, several shinigami squads were sent to help the people in charge of the affected areas.

As one of the lower-ranked shinigami in her squad, Kuchiki Rukia was also included in the mix and like most of her teammates, she was tasked with performing konso on the pulses that didn't manage to crossover after death.

As she slowly drifted from one place to another, sending the wandering dead through to Soul Society, she witnessed the devastation that wreaked the town. Barely any buildings stood intact and those that did was packed full of living survivors waiting for help from their government. The paved roads were cracked and collapsed while the streets were littered with abandoned vehicles, some half buried by rubble.

She'd been to the living world before and found it to be a lively (pun not intended) place filled with sounds and colours. But now, everything seemed muted with death and loss. It made her feel sad to see such destruction.

Rukia had to shake her head and slap herself in the face to snap out of her depressed state to focus on her job. She was a shinigami! Death and destruction was part of her occupation! All she can do for these people was to ensure that they pass on peacefully and not end up becoming hollow food or worse.

The dark-haired shinigami found one such wandering soul standing at the front of a collapsed building, the name board broken in half and lying on the ground. From where she stood, she could read "Kurosaki" on one side and "Clinic" on the other piece.

"Hello," she said, trying not to scare the spirit, who was staring listlessly at the rubble. "I don't mean to scare you and I don't know if you realise it but-"

"I am dead," said the young man. "I know."

"Oh, um, well then, that makes things easier!" Rukia said, thrown off course and not realising how insensitive she was being.

The young man lifted his head, his long strawberry blond hair falling away to reveal a handsome face that made Rukia pause.

'No way!' she thought to herself, eyes wide with shock. 'He looks exactly like Kaien-fukutaichou!'.

"You are a shinigami, right?" the young man asked. "Here to send me elsewhere so I don't bother the living."

"Uh, yeah," Rukia answered, still too surprised to do more than nod.

"I just came home from university," the young man said, tilting his head and letting his sunset-coloured hair cover the bleak expression on his face. "To see my parents and sisters."

"I don't know where my father is," he continued, looking lost. "My mother died immediately. The pillar fell on her as I was trying to get to my sisters upstairs. None of us made it out."

The Kaien-lookalike turned to her and asked, "Will you let me search for my sisters first? I'll go with you. But I have to make sure my sisters and mother are going as well."

Rukia found herself unable to say no, especially not to that face. Instead, she ushered for him to search for his sisters in the vicinity while she sent a jigokucho to her vice-captain, who fortunately came with her squad as team leader.

When Kaien arrived, alone, he was visibly shaken to see the ruined building and the drifting soul searching desperately for his lost family.

"Ichigo!" Kaien exclaimed, which surprised Rukia.

The orangette turned and gave a surprised but relieved cry, "Kaien-nii!"

"What happen- no! You! You're dead!?" Kaien exclaimed, rushing forward to grasped the redhead's arms. "Where's Karin and Yuzu? And- and-"

"Dead," Ichigo answered, tears now streaming down his cheeks. "I couldn't get them out in time. Mom too! I don't know where dad is. He went to the hospital and we lost contact right before the earthquake hit us."

Kaien pulled the distressed soul into his arms and looked devastated by the news. Then he caught sight of a confused Rukia and shook his head. He gestured to her to come closer. When she did, Kaien whispered to her urgently.

"Rukia, you must keep this quiet," Kaien said. "This is clan business and it will affect my whole clan as well as my cousin's well-being."

"Can you do that for me?" Kaien asked and Rukia nodded mutely. "I'm sorry for burdening you, but my cousins, they are innocent in all the political struggles of the clans. They are from a family branch that's been lost for some time, so they don't know about all these problems."

Rukia nodded in understanding. Her brother always did the same for her. Despite not sharing the same blood, her brother's protectiveness over her was something that deterred the elders from using her as their political fodder or bargaining chip. The last time someone tried to arrange a marriage for her to another clan, her brother had rained down hell's terror on the culprit's head so hard that the elder didn't dare to step foot into the main house even after a decade.

"Leave this family's konso to me," Kaien said to her, still keeping a protective embrace around his cousin.

"Understood, Fukutaichou," she said, standing in attention. Then, with a last worried look at the strawberry blond still sobbing in her vice-captain's arms, she left to perform her duties.

She would keep her promise and tell no one what she saw that day.

***

For months after that, she didn't hear anything about the spirit she found in the living world, who just so happen to know Kaien-fukutaichou and was a part of his clan.

She didn't tell anyone about what she found in the living world, having decided to completely forget about the event. It wasn't her business, and furthermore, it concerned the bloodline of a true blood. Even if she was a Kuchiki she was still adopted, and therefore, still considered by the higher nobles like the Tsunayashiro to be lesser. So none of them would have taken anything she said into account anyway. And even if they did, it would bring nothing but trouble for her and Kaien-fukutaichou.

It wasn't until six months later that it was announced that the Shiba clan had found a branch family of theirs living in Rukongai. The father, a long estranged Shiba, had gone missing after confronting a hollow to save his family, leaving behind a wife and three children, a young man and a pair of twin girls. They were all summarily welcomed into the main clan home.

Rukia knew immediately that Kaien-fukutaichou managed to find his cousin's sisters and mother, though it was a little odd that the father wasn't found. Perhaps he was still in the living world? But if he was the Shiba...

Rukia shook her head and decided there and then not to question anything, since it would bring nothing but trouble. Instead, she focused on working hard to prove herself to her squad and did not bring it up at all with Kaien-fukutaichou, who looked grateful when she congratulated him on his new family members but refrained from ever mentioning their origins.

A few months later, Kaien-fukutaichou approached her one afternoon.

"Hey, Kuchiki! You free for lunch?" the grinning man asked. "Midori and I are meeting up for lunch. Come along and I'll introduce you to my new cousins."

He winked at her and she couldn't help but grin back and agree. It had been months, close to a year since the new members of the Shiba clan had been introduced but Rukia had yet to meet any of them. This would be her first 'official' meeting with them and it was honestly making her jittery with anxiety.

The café that Kaien brought her to was located in a new area close to the eight division. Apparently, it was once a marsh that was unutilized until the Shiba clan bought the land for dirt cheap a few months back. The clan brought in people to work on the landscaping for months, planting aquatic plants like water lilies, lotuses and blue irises. In the middle, they constructed a series of shops selling ornaments, liquor, musical instruments and food of all kinds.

It was the first time Rukia stepped into the Shiba Shopping District and she could honestly say that she was overwhelmed by the open shops, all designed to surround a large stage in the middle, which was evidently for entertainment like puppet shows and dances. When she arrived, there was a dance being performed by a geisha while a second one was playing the shamisen.

"Wow," she breathed, having never seen anything like this before. She stood at the edge of the walkway, watching the graceful dance set on a scenic background filled with colourful water lilies and pink lotuses.

"This was a huge project," Kaien lamented, thinking back on the amount of work done on the district. "Nearly bankrupted the whole clan. Only Ichigo and Masaki-san managed to power through by hiring people from outer Rukongai and begging the famous shops from other districts to move here or open a branch here. We had to give them the shops at a low rental rate for a year before they agreed to join us."

Rukia wanted to visit some of the shops but Kaien pulled her along as they were taking too much time wandering through the district.

"It was worth it though," Kaien continued, ushering her towards a large shop decorated with vines of pink and red roses. "The district generated a lot of income for the families around Rukongai since it started a few months ago. It's also starting to earn us money because of the festivals and events."

"Some of the clans want to invest in the shopping district now," He rolled his eyes. "When we first started construction, the other clans were ridiculing us. Now they want a piece of the pie."

Rukia made a sound of commiseration, her attention half taken by the window display at the shop front. There were fresh strawberries dipped in chocolate and sprinkled in colourful confectionary. It looked so mouth-watering. And- Rukia squealed when she saw Chappy, the white rabbit painted on cookies with coloured frosting.

"Kaien-fukutaichou!" she pointed excitedly. "They have Chappy!"

Kaien laughed. "Yeah! Yuzu likes Chappy too, so Ichigo learned to make them for her. Come on in!"

With that, he led her to the door and Rukia looked up to see a hanging name board swinging beside the wooden door.

"Strawberry Kiss-aten?" she read the stylised calligraphy.

Kaien laughed aloud as he pushed the door, "A play on Ichigo's name."

"More like a joke on my name."

Rukia's attention immediately went to the auburn-haired young man, who was standing behind the counter. The long haired man smiled at her and waved.

"Rukia-san! Please to meet you!" he greeted and Rukia immediately bowed.

"Please to meet you! Kuchiki Rukia desu!"

"Ah, don't be so formal-"

A knock on her head shook her out of her bow and she grabbed her head as Kaien reminded her loudly not to be so formal.

"Kaien!" shouted Miyako, popping out from the door leading to the kitchen. "Was that necessary!? How can you hit a girl like that!?"

"Miyako-sama!" Rukia greeted as Shiba Miyako stormed over to her husband. For some reason, she was wearing an apron, similar to the white one that Ichigo was wearing over his yukata. She took it off and handed it over to Ichigo before she smacked Kaien's own head.

"Miyako-ow!"

Ichigo just shook his head as he finished making his cousin's favourite drink and turned to Rukia.

"So, Rukia, you don't mind me calling you that right? What kind of drink do you like?" Ichigo asked, making Rukia blink in confusion.

"Erm, Uh. Tea will be fine?" Rukia tried, unsure. She spied the menu written above head and wanted to scratch her head over some of the drinks listed on it.

"Tea? You don't seem like a tea kind of girl?" Ichigo commented as he passed Kaien his drink. "How about I make something I think you might like. If you don't like it, then you try something else next time you come."

"Eh? Oh, Ok," she agreed hesitantly, but was encouraged by the nod Miyako gave her.

"Come on," Miyako said, leading her to one of the tables outside, where they could clearly see the stage and the lotus pond. "Masaki cooked the lunch set and Yuzu will send them out."

Rukia watched as the stage changed performers and a couple of musicians replace the geishas by playing gentle music. She'd seen performances before, of course, but not in settings like this.

"We appointed a managerial team to organise performers and events to increase traffic," Miyako told her. "You'll see a lot of shinigami coming here because of the food and liquor. But they aren't the only customers here."

"For all the nobles raised their nose at the idea of this shopping district when we first came up with it, they spent the most money here," Kaien told her in a whisper, tilting his chin towards an entourage of well-dressed women who were sitting nearby sipping on their colourful drinks.

"They like the allure of the district," Miyako said, taking a sip of her own drink, which was a lurid green with a bright red cherry in it. For some reason, there were bubbles fizzing in it and Rukia found herself wondering how it tasted like. Maybe that was the reason the noble ladies came. They wanted to try every drink and food on the menu.

"There was actually a second phase planned for the district," Kaien informed Rukia suddenly, making her gape in surprise.

"There's more?" she asked, amazed.

"A second layer of shops, built into the canopy of trees," Kaien told her, pointing up at the large trees that surrounded the area. "There were supposed to be bridges and walkways to connect the shops together."

Rukia looked up and tried to imagine how it would have looked like if the shops extended upwards. She asked, "It didn't work out?"

Miyako hummed, "We had to shelf the idea because we needed to recover financially first. There are interested investors... like the Tsunayashiro seemed pretty interested in the project."

"Too interested," Kaien muttered darkly. "I hope that asshole keeps away from Ichigo and the girls. After what he did to his wife-"

"Kaien," Miyako said warningly before she changed the subject. "Rukia, so what do you think of this place?"

Before Rukia could answer her question, Ichigo came bearing a tray with a drink and a plate of Chappy cookies for her.

"Kaien tells me you like Chappy too," the auburn-haired young man said, sliding the plate to her. "It's on the house. For helping me that time."

No need to say when. Rukia understood immediately what he meant and happily took cookies, not eating them but keeping them close. She didn't think she could bring herself to eat the cute looking snacks. It was painted so beautifully, exactly like how Chappy looked!

"And here is your drink. Strawberry Mocha Latte," Ichigo announced as he put a large glass in front of her. Rukia couldn't help but gape at it. The bottom of the clear glass had pieces of strawberry, then a layer of brown liquid topped with white cream and garnished with a large whole strawberry. The drink was almost as tall as her head!

"Try it," Kaien encouraged her and she tentatively took a sip from the straw.

She couldn't stop herself from making a delighted sound, high and approving. The sweetness and slight acidity of fresh strawberries blended well with the rich, bitter notes of coffee and chocolate. The fruity freshness of the strawberries was the perfect balance to the intensity of the bitterness.

"I love it!" she gushed to Ichigo. "It's so good!"

Ichigo grinned back at her and she couldn't help but admire his handsomeness. He had the same kind of casual sexuality that all Shiba was known for and his colouring was so striking.

"Well, then. Be sure to come more often with your friends," he said. Then he turned around, as if sensing someone coming. It was a young girl with light brown hair, carrying three trays stacked atop each other. Without a word, Ichigo reached out and plucked the trays from her and arranged the trays in front of the shinigami.

Meanwhile, Rukia was introduced to Yuzu, one of the twins. She had brown hair and Ichigo's same brown eyes. Her face was lovely and sweet, with kindness shining clear in her eyes. Rukia liked her immediately.

"Three lunch sets," Ichigo announced to the gathering of shinigami. "We don't have much of a variety when it comes to meals, since we are only focusing on drinks and baked goods. What we have for sets are usually specials of the day. If you dislike anything, tell us and we'll exclude the dish."

"It looks good," Rukia said, examining the lunch box. It was mainly home cooked dishes, nothing fancy like the ones at restaurants. She tried one piece of stir-fried beef and was pleasantly surprised by the flavourful taste. It melted on her tongue and made her mouth water for more.

She couldn't speak at all, except to nod when Kaien asked if her food was alright. She was too busy stuffing her mouth full of rice and dishes to realise she was being a glutton. By the time she became self aware, Kaien and Miyako was staring at her in amusement as she slurped up the last bit of stir-fry.

"It was very good," she defended herself and Kaien burst out laughing. Miyako just smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Masaki is very good at cooking," Miyako said. Then explained, "Their mother. She stays in the kitchen cooking and baking with Yuzu. Ichigo minds the counter and is the barista. The one making the drinks. There's one more. Karin. She's usually running errands. Sometimes you can find her at the front."

Just as she said that, a dark-haired girl popped out, "You said my name?"

Rukia nearly jumped in surprised. This girl managed to sneak up on her!

"Karin, you're here!" Kaien said, then he pointed to Rukia. "This is Kuchiki Rukia. She's the one who found your brother for me."

Karin nodded to Rukia, "Thanks, I guess. If not, my brother would still be lost."

What she meant, Rukia couldn't exactly understand as Karin quickly made an excuse and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving her brother to man the café himself.

"Don't mind her," Kaien said to Rukia. "Karin was the last one we found in Rukongai. She was in Inuzuri for a few months."

Rukia's face twisted in sympathy. Having grown up there, she understood the difficulty the girl went through.

"It was fortunate you found Ichigo for me," Kaien said. "If not, I don't think I could have found any of them."

When Rukia gave him a questioning look, he explained, "He was the one who found the rest of them in Rukongai."

"Oh," Rukia said, looking down. Then she admitted, "I didn't really do anything. I just found him at his home. You would have found him sooner or later."

"Not necessarily," Kaien said with a shake of his head. "He was prepared to wander away to find his sisters and mother."

Midori touched Rukia's arm, "Don't dismiss your achievements. Especially when praise is deserved."

Rukia's face heated with a blush and she quietly drank her cold beverage. The strawberry mocha latte was the perfect finish for her meal and by the time she fished out the last strawberry she was beyond stuffed. She wrapped her Chappy cookies in a napkin to take back to the squad, too full to eat more. She was leaving it to savour later.

"Please do come again," Ichigo said from behind the counter as they exited the café and Rukia nodded enthusiastically.

"I will!" Rukia said. "I'll bring my friends along!"

Yuzu happily waved at her from the window display while her dark-haired twin sister, Karin, just rolled her eyes and waved nonchalantly.

"Did you enjoy lunch?" Kaien asked, amused at the way she was clutching at her Chappy cookies like it was her greatest treasure.

"I did!" she exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. "It was the best!"

"I'm definitely going back there!"

The Chappy cookies Ichigo gave her was the best cookies she ever had.

It was so good she made it a habit to run over to the shopping district whenever she could just so she could get a bag of the cookies and have a chat with Ichigo, who was fast becoming someone she could call a friend.

She even brought Renji there with her and later, her brother.

Three months later, she ran into Matsumoto (like literally, right into her boobs, face first) and nearly dropped the bag of Chappy cookies Renji bought for her.

Then she made the greatest mistake of her life by recommending Strawberry Kiss-aten to the blonde.

*

*

End Chapter Two

[demoniqt]

Strawberry Kiss-aten 🍓

Summary:

Shots of life surrounding the Kurosaki/Shiba cafe in Soul Society, sans Kurosaki papa, who's running from the authorities in the human world but still trying to provide for his dead wife and children by being their product provider.

Aka the coffee shop AU no one asked for. Featuring the cast of soul society with a not-so-slow brew of Byakuya/Ichigo.

Notes:

Just a crack idea I had one night that screamed at me to write. Thought I should share it.

Ichigo is slightly different here, more naïve, less angsty, coz his mother didn't die and she raised him to be more sensitive and less abrasive. And yes, he has long hair here too, coz I'm a sucker for it.

His sisters are also with him in this AU but they will come out in later chapters.

Anyway, on to the fic!

Chapter ONE

"Where are you taking me?" Yumichika complained as Rangiku manhandled him towards the Shiba Shopping District.

"To a café Rukia-chan recommended," she replied. "She said they have very good food. And cute cookies and drinks too."

"Hm? I thought you were only interested in liquor," Yumichika said.

"Well, I heard there's a famous liquor shop that opened a branch here recently," Rangiku chirped, looking around the shopping district. "We can get some later."

Yumichika rolled his eyes. Of course. Then he questioned her, "Why me anyway?"

"Oh, I wanted to call Momo-chan too but she was busy. Shuuhei and Kira are no good with these kind of cafes," Rangiku complained. Then she amended, "Well, Shuuhei is. Kira will just go along with everything."

She wrapped her arms around Yumichika and said, "You're much more fun when it comes to these kind of things. Besides, shopping is the best with people who appreciate the good things in life."

Yumichika sparkled at the praise and together, the two most flamboyant member of the Gotei 13 flounced off in search of the aforementioned café.

"There it is! Strawberry Kiss-aten!" Rangiku announced, pointing to a quaint little coffee shop at the edge of the shopping district.

The shop had vines of red and pink roses decorating the front wall and the frame of the door. The name board was just a small hanging tag at the side of the door. People would have walked past and not realise it was a café, if not for the heavenly smells of baked good wafting from the shop.

The door bell chimed with a tinkle when they opened the door and they were greeted with a simple 'Irasshai'. It was delivered low and quiet, as if the owner of the voice didn't want to disturb any of the customers inside.

Rangiku made a noise of surprise and put her hands on her mouth as she took in the greeter's appearance. Even Yumichika did a double take when he caught sight of the young man.

He had long auburn-hair, more orange than Matsumoto's strawberry blond, tied in a high ponytail that cascaded down to the middle of his back. But as striking as his hair was, it was his face that made them both gape.

He looked like Shiba Kaien.

"Yes, I know," he answered their unspoken question with an air of resignation. Evidently, it wasn't the first time he'd been confronted because of his appearance. "We look alike. That's because we're cousins."

"Oh! You're Shiba-fukutaichou's cousin!" Rangiku exclaimed, delighted to finally meet one of the newest members of the Shiba clan.

There had been a bit of a fuss amongst Seireitei's high society when the Shibas announced the addition of their branch members, who had apparently been found in the outer Rukongai district. Rangiku was pretty sure the other noble clans had a conniption fit that they covered up under the guise of propriety but no one cared, least of all the Shibas who were all pretty cool in her book.

Then, the branch members started the project constructing the Shiba Shopping District, single-handedly providing jobs for many in Rukongai and later, when the commercial zone opened to public, increased the economic prosperity of Seireitei. Rangiku bet the nobles that spat on those new Shiba members previously were now singing a different tune.

It hadn't taken long before the shopping district became the go-to hang out place for the shinigami and even the nobles couldn't deny the pull of the commercial zone. It was beautifully done, with a modern edge to the design reminiscent of the living world's construction atop a traditional blueprint. The whole district was also set over a lotus pond, dotted with water lilies and other flowering aquatic plants.

Rangiku herself had visited the place regularly since it opened, though it was her first time visiting this 'coffee shop'. She had seen it before while roaming around but didn't go in because it held no interest to her. She had been more interested in the liquor shop next door.

Until she ran into Rukia and she recommended the shop to Rangiku.

"My name is Ichigo," Shiba Kaien's cousin introduced, prompting the two shinigami to introduce themselves in return.

"What would you like to drink?" the handsome young man asked, coming out from behind the counter to show them to a table. "This is the place that has the best view."

The table was set outside a mezzanine floor with a clear view of the lotus pond. Rangiku could see storks wading and fishing in the pond as well as dragonflies flitting about between the water lilies. It really was the best view one could get.

"Rukia-chan said you have something called Strawberry Mocha Latte?" Rangiku asked as both she and Yumichika looked through the menu. It had only four pages but everything in it sounded so good.

Ichigo nodded, "I made that for her 'cause it looked like something she would enjoy."

"Then, what would you suggest for me, sugar?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him and hoisting her ample assets up. But her flirting went straight over his head as he nodded.

"I'll make something I think you might like," he answered before turning to Yumichika, completely un-phased by her alarming good looks.

Deflated, Rangiku wondered if she was losing her edge when Yumichika tried his luck. The flamboyant man fluttered his eyes at the auburn-haired young man who took his orders in brisk efficiency and promised to return with their orders.

The nonchalant way the young man dismissed their flirting made the two shinigami looked at each other, first in disbelief and then in outrage.

"It didn't work," she hissed at Yumichika, who nodded frantically. "Neither of us!?"

"I know," he hissed back. The two of them were one of the most beautiful shinigami in Seireitei and it wasn't all egoism. They were both masters of flirtation, able to get any young man or woman blushing with just a look or a word.

"Unless," Rangiku said in contemplation. "He is asexual."

"Maybe," Yumichika answered skeptically. "It'll be a waste though. With a face and a body like that."

"I know, right?" Rangiku agreed.

Instead of enjoying the view of the lotus pond, the both of them watched the young man at the counter through the open doors. He moved with a grace that came with being trained in terms of martial arts. Rangiku was pretty sure Shiba Ichigo could become a shinigami but chose not to. It wasn't surprising. Many nobles chose not to, like the infamous fireworks maker Shiba Kuukaku, Kaien-fukutaichou's sister.

When Shiba Ichigo returned, he was carrying a tray with two tall drinks, a plate of cookies and a plate with a piece of cake.

"This one is for Ayasegawa-san," Ichigo said, putting a fizzing peacock green drink decorated with an umbrella and a cherry at the top. "Blue Lagoon Mocktail."

"Mocktail?"

"A non-alcoholic beverage that's crafted to mimic the flavors and experience of a traditional cocktail," Ichigo recited to them. "It's a mixed drink of juice, herbs, tea and soda water."

"Soda- Oh my god," Yumichika gushed after taking a tentative sip of his drink, "This tastes so good."

"Ooh, then, what did you make me?" Rangiku asked in curiosity, eyeing the other drink on the tray.

"It's Sunrise Mocktail," Ichigo answered, putting down an orange-red drink in front of her. "Orange mixed with grenadine, that is, pomegranate juice."

The blonde took a sip and her brows jumped nearly to her hairline.

"It's good," Rangiku answered cautiously, staring at the drink in surprise. She didn't think she would like a non-alcoholic drink designed to fool drinkers into believing they had even an ounce of alcohol in it.

"Red velvet with cream cheese," Ichigo introduced, passing her a piece of cake that was as vividly coloured as its name.

"And some cookie samples for Ayasegawa-san," the auburn-haired young man said, putting down a plate of cookies.

Yumichika blinked in confusion and Shiba Ichigo explained, "You were hovering over the cookies but unsure what you wanted to try, so I prepared a sample plate for you to try.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you," Yumichika gushed, fluttering his thick lashes again.

"You are Rukia's friends, so it is no problem at all," Ichigo replied, completely immune to Yumichika's charms. "Please enjoy."

With that, the young man pivoted and left, leaving an ego-bruised Yumichika and a commiserating Rangiku. Now they definitely had to mend their broken self-esteem with the sweet icy drinks and delicious snacks.

They didn't realise how much time they spent there sampling the cookies until Ichigo suddenly appeared during noon to ask if they would like to order their lunch set.

Suffice to say, by the time they left, it was already evening and they were very much sober but too filled with good food to complain. Rangiku promised to come again, if only for the delicious cakes and sweet, sweet cookies. Not as sweet as Ichigo's ass though.

Ichigo had laughed, not taking her words seriously and not falling for her charms yet again.

This boy was going to be so bad for her self-esteem, she thought as they stepped out.

It was then that they ran across Renji and his captain.

"Renji!" Rangiku greeted, then less informally; "Kuchiki-taichou."

The two from the sixth squad nodded to her and Renji greeted her back. Just then, the take out window at the side of the shop front, set just above the display window, opened and Ichigo peered out.

"Renji," the auburn-haired young man greeted. "Are you here to pick up cookies for Rukia again?"

"Yeah," Renji confirmed, scratching the back of his nape sheepishly.

"Just a sec," Ichigo said, taking a take out bag and filling it with Chappy cookies. He passed it to Renji who paid him. Then he turned to the captain waiting alongside the redhead. "Kuchiki-taichou, how may I help you?"

Rangiku and Yumichika watched in fascination and with open mouths as a faint blush dusted across Ichigo's pale cheeks.

"Oh, no wonder it didn't work," Rangiku breathed and Yumichika nodded in agreement. "Now, the question would be; Is this one-sided?"

Both of them swiveled their heads to the sixth squad captain, whose back was towards them. Try as they might they couldn't see the Kuchiki head's expression as he ordered his usual seaweed cookies, which were shaped and named after the Seaweed Ambassador.

"I included a sample of our new Pepper Cookies," Ichigo said, handing the dark-haired man the package. "I remember you like spicy food. Please try them and give me your feedback?"

"He remembers his favourite food," Yumichika whispered to Rangiku with a slight nudge. The strawberry blonde nodded furiously.

Did Rukia know about this!???

Kuchiki Byakuya said something, which they were too far away to catch, but the rumble in his voice was enough to make Ichigo's blush deepen and the auburn-haired young man smiled at the captain as if they were the only two people in the world.

Yumichika and Matsumoto still couldn't see the captain's expression, but they didn't need to. Renji's wide-eyed stare at his captain was more than enough to tell them everything they needed to know.

Those two were definitely sweet on each other!

Matsumoto Rangiku slammed into the office of the Thirteenth division minutes later. Surprised, Rukia dropped the stack of papers she was filing when the blonde grabbed her arms shrieking half in delight and half in hysteria.

"Rukia-chan!" Rangiku freaked out. "Your brother is sweet on Shiba Ichigo!"

"What!????"

The shout didn't come from Rukia, whose eyes were as large as dinner plates.

Instead, the shout came from behind Rangiku. When she turned, it was to see Shiba Kaien pick up his zanpaktou as he got up from his table. Though he didn't unsheathe his sword, his bloodlust was enough to make the two women freeze in terror.

"Rukia, where would your brother be at this moment?" he asked, his beady eyes belying his calm tone.

Rukia made an eeping sound, grabbing onto Rangiku's hands to prevent her from running away and leaving her behind with an overprotective, homicidal shinigami. Unexpectedly, Matsumoto Rangiku grabbed her and threw her over her shoulder. Then, she ran out of the office of the Thirteenth squad with Rukia hoisted like she was a bag of rice.

"This is all your fault!" she hissed to Rangiku. She could see her vice captain running out of the office after them. "You ruined everything! Why did you have to announce it aloud! Do you have any idea how many weeks I've been planning their meetings without anyone noticing!?"

"I'm sorry!" Rangiku wailed as she ran, one incensed fukutaichou storming after them from behind.

"MATSUMOTO! KUCHIKI! WHAT DO YOU MEAN SWEET ON MY LITTLE COUSIN! DON'T YOU RUN!"

*

*

End Chapter One

[demoniqt]

Mending the Pieces - Chapter 2 - demoniqt - Bleach (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Byakuya has left and Ichigo seeks comfort from various people. He has terrible tastes in men, but he has the best of friends.

Notes:

Soooo, I'm obliged to post a warning on a (maybe) dub-con situation between Ichigo/Aizen while Ichigo is intoxicated. He's still aware, just not in the right state of mind to make a sound decision. I'm do not ever support coercion or non-con situations, even if I do occasionally write them. So, don't put words in my mouth, erm, writing.

Also, crossdressing warning.

Without much more ado, onwards to chapter two!

[imi-mimimoo]

Dadji how I love you

[demoniqt]

😭 I love them so much

[soccefordanmei]

picture is not mine credits to the owner

(i had this in my gallery for some time but i cannot find the source of where i got it from😭)

nie huaisang is me

[demoniqt]

Hahaha. NHS is me too.

[octoswan]

I made these as a way to compile all the geographical vocabulary that I thought was useful and interesting for writers. Some descriptors share categories, and some are simplified, but for the most part everything is in its proper place. Not all the words are as useable as others, and some might take tricky wording to pull off, but I hope these prove useful to all you writers out there!

(save the images to zoom in on the pics)

[firelightinferno]

Oh, that’s very helpful indeed!

[writing-prompt-s]

!!!

[demoniqt]

Mending the Pieces - Chapter 1 - demoniqt - Bleach (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/64509397/chapters/165662107

When the Kuchiki family is presented with a proposal that would merge two conglomerate giants, Byakuya makes a decision that shatters the trust between Ichigo and him. Now, Ichigo is left wondering what will become of him when Byakuya marries.

Ichigo goes through several bouts of ill-advised relationships while nursing a broken heart.

For @mondengel2 for dragging me back into ByaIchi mania.

[yobyakuya76]

From this ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

To this⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

+++++++++++++++++++

From this ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️

To this ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

[mondengel-deactivated20231111]

In both situations, Byakuya is feeling some very intense emotions.

Also, just reread the gardne statue omake here and...is it just me or is it cute that Byakuya felt confident making a sculpture of Ichigo from memory, but would have needed anyone else to sit as a model? 

A bit sus too.  He wants to make a statue in the soon to be public garden of a noteworthy person (because he specified the other captains were all busy), but NONE of the ones he knows had a free day?  It HAD to be Ichigo?  There was no one else, past or present in the entirety of Soul Society and it’s history that might have done as a subject for a massive statue (that looks 5m/16ft or so tall) in Byakuya’s eyes?  Just Ichigo? 

Ichigo: “Why me in the first place?! There are many more people that are more fit to be made into a statue!”

Byakuya: “...”

Okay.

Also, no one showed up to this “ceremony:. 

I am 100% certain Rukia, Renji, Yachiru, Ukitake and Kyoraku (at the very least for the luls) would have shown up, possibly Hitsugaiya and Komamura for politeness sake.  The only way Ichigo is the only one there is because he’s the only one that was invited.

He also showed up in a nice suit.

This was a testing the waters-date.

A cute date in the newly made public garden in which they are completely alone and Byakuya shows Ichigo a handmade artistic rendition of him that Byakuya spent hours and days working on.

A cute, cute awkward little date.

[sunflowersandcherryblossoms]

Tite Kubo had the chance to do something unusual and yet quite interesting...

If he'd gotten the Shinigami to wear the collar right over left to signify that they're not exactly...living people...

[mondengel2]

That would be so cool and is something I've thought about a time or two. My guess is they're only considered dead while they're plus souls lingering in the human world. After they cross over to Soul Society they're "alive" in that world.

Imagine if right over left was normal for shinigami though.

Imagine Ichigo accidentally starting to wear kimono the shinigami way all the time. His friends don't think anything of it during festivals and stuff, because they see him like that in shihakushou on a daily basis, but he creeps the fuck out of everyone else. "The crowd's thinner than I expected, but it seems like there's the usual amount of people here. Weird."

Byakuya would of course dress the same. They come back for a visit together, dressed like the dead and talking not quietly enough about sending the souls of the recently deceased onto the next world and all of the Kurosaki's neighbors are freaked out. "That creepy Kurosaki boy with the strange hair and his unsettling, but unfairly handsome husband are around again!" "Misao, get away from the window before they see you!"

[mondengel2]

"Che. How could Rukia think this book would contain good advice."

Setting down the concerningly thick Best Methods to Acquire a New Husband for Everyone, from Fun and Flirty to Smoldering Seduction and went to bed.

Thirty minutes later, he rolled back to sitting and stared at the dark lump on his desk for a long while before rising.

Five years later:

"...Byakuya, what the hell is this? Wait. Are these pickup lines?! Wait wait. This....and this...and this one too...Byakuya?! Just how many of these cheesy pickup lines did you use on me?"

"It worked, did it not?"

"....."

"Well...I mean, you said it really charming so it didn't seem that cheesy."

"Ichigo?"

"Hm?"

"You really are handsome"

"Idiot."

[secondlina]

Stray cats 🐈

[demoniqt]

Awwww 🥹